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Council on Firefighter Training
www.COFT-Oklahoma.org • 405-601-8862 • fax 405-601-7996 • email contact@coft-oklahoma.org
Your Safety and Health is Our Priority
Jon Hansen, COFT
Executive Director
G r e e t i n g s
Oklahoma Fire
Service!
We have just
returned from another
successful Destry
Horton wildland fire
school, hosted by the
Lawton and Fort Sill
Fire Departments.
OSU-FST continues to
raise the bar on rural
fire training. The state
All Hazards Incident
Management Team (AHIMT) was also
on hand for training and to support the
weekend event. Thanks to Senator Don
Barrington, Representative Ann Coody,
and Representative Joe Dorman who
attended the opening ceremony, and
pledged their continued support for fire
(paid and volunteer) programs statewide.
The Incident Resource Hotline (IRH)
annual update was held February 11 in
Shawnee. Agency Directors from different
public safety organizations, as well as a
cross section of emergency response
and preparedness personnel attended.
Look for another dynamic program next
year!
OKLAHOMA FIREFIGHTER CARDIO-VASCULAR
WELNES PROGRAM
We are ready to start! Staff from
Integris Heart Hospital is meeting with
Midwest City Firefighters to schedule
screenings. Integris has the latest
technology using Cardiac Computed
Tomography (CCT). You can actually see
blood flowing through the heart using
this non-evasive process. It will provide
immediate feedback of screening results
to quickly and accurately diagnose any
suspected cardiovascular pathology.
Heart attacks are the leading cause
of on-duty fatalities among firefighters.
The program goal is to improve the
overall cardiac health among Oklahoma
firefighters and in turn, reduce the
mortality rate due to catastrophic cardiac
events. We will be meeting with staff and
members of the Chandler, Watonga,
and Tecumseh Fire Departments
soon. Our goal is a “community based”
cardiovascular wellness program that
each fire department can lead in their
local community.
OKLAHOMA COMPANY/CHIEF OFFICER
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
We are almost finished with round one
of our focus groups. Staff will visit Tulsa,
Woodward, and a few other areas of our
state. Your response and input has been
fantastic. We will give a program update
at the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs annual
conference in Norman. Look for a survey
and more information on our web site
soon.
THE SEAT BELT PLEDGE
How can seat belt usage be an issue
today? Almost every state in the country,
including Oklahoma, has a seat belt law
that does not exempt firefighters. Driving
is one of the most dangerous tasks for
firefighters. Our vehicles and equipment
today are much safer than at any time
in history. Despite our intensive efforts
to increase our safety awareness, there
are firefighters who do not wear seat
belts. In too many tragedies, we find that
wearing seat belts could have saved a
life. Firefighter Brian Hunton, age 27,
was a member of the Amarillo, Texas Fire
Department for one year. On April 23,
2005 he fell out of the apparatus he was
riding to an alarm, and died two days later
from his injuries. Brian was not wearing
his seat belt. As a result, the national Seat
Belt Pledge was born. The great folks at
Amarillo want Brian’s death to become a
rallying point for us all. Think about these
questions; Do you BUCKLE UP prior to
leaving the station every time, if not, why
not? Do you feel comfortable asking a
teammate to BUCKLE UP? That simple
question could save a life. Seat belts are
a vital part of your PPE!!! Congratulations
to the Atoka Volunteer Fire Department
and the Bridge Creek Volunteer Fire
Department for signing the National Seat
Belt Pledge!
WHEN TO USE LIGHTS AND SIRENS
I thought the following might interest
you. Chief Dominick Swinhart wrote
this on “Mutual Aid” which is Fire Chief
Magazine’s blog. Chief Swinhart writes;
“Do you remember the first call you
responded to that you used lights and
sirens? I don’t know if I remember the
very first call, but I certainly remember the
first call where I drove an apparatus with
lights and siren activated. My adrenalin
was rushing so much that my foot was
“jumping” on the accelerator, resulting in
what I’m sure was an unsafe response
at a much faster speed than was likely
necessary.
The literature in our profession is filled
with articles about the hazards of the
use of lights and siren. Unfortunately,
the news is also filled with incidents of
responders who have not only been
involved in accidents responding to or
returning from emergencies, but lives
being lost in the process. Cases are also
being seen where individual apparatus
operators are facing charges for
reckless and negligent driving. One such
incident on the East Coast resulted in a
controversial vehicular-homicide charge.
Vehicle crashes remain the No. 2 killer
of firefighters in this country. Statistics
like this should cause all of us to examine
and question our emergency response
policies.
While certainly not a “fix-all” to reducing
firefighter deaths from vehicle accidents,
reining in the use of lights and siren to
only those calls where it is absolutely
necessary is a major step in the right
direction. Research has shown that the
use of lights and siren by themselves can
cause vehicle crashes through the so-called
“wake effect.” Another research
study found that fatal ambulance crashes
were twice as likely to have involved the
use of lights and siren. Well-known author
Jay Fitch may have said it best when he
noted that using lights and siren for every
call we respond on is akin to ordering a
CT scan for every patient who walks in
to a hospital. It’s simply unsupported by
research.
A common refrain we hear from EVOC
instructors is that the use of lights and
siren doesn’t save any time. While I
understand why they teach this, it’s not
technically true in most cases. Our own
research study in my department (as well
as numerous published research studies)
has shown that the use of lights and siren
does indeed save some time. The problem
is that it doesn’t enough time to make a
difference in most cases. We timed one
ambulance response to an address over
25 miles away. A follow up drive adhering
to all traffic laws showed a time savings
of less than 3 minutes by using lights
and siren. Other follow up drives showed
similar minor time savings. Outside of
cardiac arrest or an obstructed airway,
little difference could have been made by
saving the one or two minutes we saw in
our study. Indeed the published research
confirms this. Most have found anywhere
from 0% to 5% of patients that might
have benefitted from a reduced response
time. Response time studies using fire
calls have shown similar results.
While I don’t subscribe to the idea that
we should never use lights and siren, it’s
clear we need to be proactive in making
sure their use is reserved for all but the
most serious calls. Many departments
have dispatch centers that use priority
dispatching. Departments that don’t have
this capability have developed detailed
policies and procedures that regulate the
use of lights and siren. For fire responses,
this typically includes confirmed fires,
rescue situations or smoke in a building.
For ambulance responses, this can
include cardiac arrest, difficulty breathing,
choking, or trauma. Another common
tool to reduce exposure is when multiple
companies or apparatus respond to a
call. Often a department will allow the
first due apparatus to respond “hot,”
while all subsequent units move with the
flow of traffic unless they are requested
to elevate their response.
In my opinion, there are clearly some
calls we respond to that still require the
use of lights and sirens. The challenge for
the chief officer is determining those calls
types where the use of such equipment is
deemed worth the risk. Doing nothing risks
increased liability for your members, your
department, and perhaps you personally,
to say nothing of the loss of lives we
continue to experience every year.” Food
for thought from Chief Swinhart.
PLEASE BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!
We have been on the road, around our
state, delivering programs on the 5 Levels
of Firefighter, Company/Chief Officer
Leadership, Cardiovascular Wellness,
Driving Safety, Earned Volunteer
Firefighter Tax Credit Program, and
Firefighter/Citizen Safety and Health.
COFT will continue to do everything we can
to look out for your safety and health!
Please be safe and look out for each
other! This applies not only to the fire
ground but in our daily lives, and in the
way we deal with each other. Honesty is
always the best policy. BUCKLE UP and
together, we will continue to make a
difference in the lives of our citizens …
JON
405-620-6262
jonh@coft-oklahoma.org

Council on Firefighter Training
www.COFT-Oklahoma.org • 405-601-8862 • fax 405-601-7996 • email contact@coft-oklahoma.org
Your Safety and Health is Our Priority
Jon Hansen, COFT
Executive Director
G r e e t i n g s
Oklahoma Fire
Service!
We have just
returned from another
successful Destry
Horton wildland fire
school, hosted by the
Lawton and Fort Sill
Fire Departments.
OSU-FST continues to
raise the bar on rural
fire training. The state
All Hazards Incident
Management Team (AHIMT) was also
on hand for training and to support the
weekend event. Thanks to Senator Don
Barrington, Representative Ann Coody,
and Representative Joe Dorman who
attended the opening ceremony, and
pledged their continued support for fire
(paid and volunteer) programs statewide.
The Incident Resource Hotline (IRH)
annual update was held February 11 in
Shawnee. Agency Directors from different
public safety organizations, as well as a
cross section of emergency response
and preparedness personnel attended.
Look for another dynamic program next
year!
OKLAHOMA FIREFIGHTER CARDIO-VASCULAR
WELNES PROGRAM
We are ready to start! Staff from
Integris Heart Hospital is meeting with
Midwest City Firefighters to schedule
screenings. Integris has the latest
technology using Cardiac Computed
Tomography (CCT). You can actually see
blood flowing through the heart using
this non-evasive process. It will provide
immediate feedback of screening results
to quickly and accurately diagnose any
suspected cardiovascular pathology.
Heart attacks are the leading cause
of on-duty fatalities among firefighters.
The program goal is to improve the
overall cardiac health among Oklahoma
firefighters and in turn, reduce the
mortality rate due to catastrophic cardiac
events. We will be meeting with staff and
members of the Chandler, Watonga,
and Tecumseh Fire Departments
soon. Our goal is a “community based”
cardiovascular wellness program that
each fire department can lead in their
local community.
OKLAHOMA COMPANY/CHIEF OFFICER
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
We are almost finished with round one
of our focus groups. Staff will visit Tulsa,
Woodward, and a few other areas of our
state. Your response and input has been
fantastic. We will give a program update
at the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs annual
conference in Norman. Look for a survey
and more information on our web site
soon.
THE SEAT BELT PLEDGE
How can seat belt usage be an issue
today? Almost every state in the country,
including Oklahoma, has a seat belt law
that does not exempt firefighters. Driving
is one of the most dangerous tasks for
firefighters. Our vehicles and equipment
today are much safer than at any time
in history. Despite our intensive efforts
to increase our safety awareness, there
are firefighters who do not wear seat
belts. In too many tragedies, we find that
wearing seat belts could have saved a
life. Firefighter Brian Hunton, age 27,
was a member of the Amarillo, Texas Fire
Department for one year. On April 23,
2005 he fell out of the apparatus he was
riding to an alarm, and died two days later
from his injuries. Brian was not wearing
his seat belt. As a result, the national Seat
Belt Pledge was born. The great folks at
Amarillo want Brian’s death to become a
rallying point for us all. Think about these
questions; Do you BUCKLE UP prior to
leaving the station every time, if not, why
not? Do you feel comfortable asking a
teammate to BUCKLE UP? That simple
question could save a life. Seat belts are
a vital part of your PPE!!! Congratulations
to the Atoka Volunteer Fire Department
and the Bridge Creek Volunteer Fire
Department for signing the National Seat
Belt Pledge!
WHEN TO USE LIGHTS AND SIRENS
I thought the following might interest
you. Chief Dominick Swinhart wrote
this on “Mutual Aid” which is Fire Chief
Magazine’s blog. Chief Swinhart writes;
“Do you remember the first call you
responded to that you used lights and
sirens? I don’t know if I remember the
very first call, but I certainly remember the
first call where I drove an apparatus with
lights and siren activated. My adrenalin
was rushing so much that my foot was
“jumping” on the accelerator, resulting in
what I’m sure was an unsafe response
at a much faster speed than was likely
necessary.
The literature in our profession is filled
with articles about the hazards of the
use of lights and siren. Unfortunately,
the news is also filled with incidents of
responders who have not only been
involved in accidents responding to or
returning from emergencies, but lives
being lost in the process. Cases are also
being seen where individual apparatus
operators are facing charges for
reckless and negligent driving. One such
incident on the East Coast resulted in a
controversial vehicular-homicide charge.
Vehicle crashes remain the No. 2 killer
of firefighters in this country. Statistics
like this should cause all of us to examine
and question our emergency response
policies.
While certainly not a “fix-all” to reducing
firefighter deaths from vehicle accidents,
reining in the use of lights and siren to
only those calls where it is absolutely
necessary is a major step in the right
direction. Research has shown that the
use of lights and siren by themselves can
cause vehicle crashes through the so-called
“wake effect.” Another research
study found that fatal ambulance crashes
were twice as likely to have involved the
use of lights and siren. Well-known author
Jay Fitch may have said it best when he
noted that using lights and siren for every
call we respond on is akin to ordering a
CT scan for every patient who walks in
to a hospital. It’s simply unsupported by
research.
A common refrain we hear from EVOC
instructors is that the use of lights and
siren doesn’t save any time. While I
understand why they teach this, it’s not
technically true in most cases. Our own
research study in my department (as well
as numerous published research studies)
has shown that the use of lights and siren
does indeed save some time. The problem
is that it doesn’t enough time to make a
difference in most cases. We timed one
ambulance response to an address over
25 miles away. A follow up drive adhering
to all traffic laws showed a time savings
of less than 3 minutes by using lights
and siren. Other follow up drives showed
similar minor time savings. Outside of
cardiac arrest or an obstructed airway,
little difference could have been made by
saving the one or two minutes we saw in
our study. Indeed the published research
confirms this. Most have found anywhere
from 0% to 5% of patients that might
have benefitted from a reduced response
time. Response time studies using fire
calls have shown similar results.
While I don’t subscribe to the idea that
we should never use lights and siren, it’s
clear we need to be proactive in making
sure their use is reserved for all but the
most serious calls. Many departments
have dispatch centers that use priority
dispatching. Departments that don’t have
this capability have developed detailed
policies and procedures that regulate the
use of lights and siren. For fire responses,
this typically includes confirmed fires,
rescue situations or smoke in a building.
For ambulance responses, this can
include cardiac arrest, difficulty breathing,
choking, or trauma. Another common
tool to reduce exposure is when multiple
companies or apparatus respond to a
call. Often a department will allow the
first due apparatus to respond “hot,”
while all subsequent units move with the
flow of traffic unless they are requested
to elevate their response.
In my opinion, there are clearly some
calls we respond to that still require the
use of lights and sirens. The challenge for
the chief officer is determining those calls
types where the use of such equipment is
deemed worth the risk. Doing nothing risks
increased liability for your members, your
department, and perhaps you personally,
to say nothing of the loss of lives we
continue to experience every year.” Food
for thought from Chief Swinhart.
PLEASE BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!
We have been on the road, around our
state, delivering programs on the 5 Levels
of Firefighter, Company/Chief Officer
Leadership, Cardiovascular Wellness,
Driving Safety, Earned Volunteer
Firefighter Tax Credit Program, and
Firefighter/Citizen Safety and Health.
COFT will continue to do everything we can
to look out for your safety and health!
Please be safe and look out for each
other! This applies not only to the fire
ground but in our daily lives, and in the
way we deal with each other. Honesty is
always the best policy. BUCKLE UP and
together, we will continue to make a
difference in the lives of our citizens …
JON
405-620-6262
jonh@coft-oklahoma.org